Strong El Nino sparks fires, drought and food fears

BANGKOK: An exceptionally strong El Niño weather cycle is intensifying concerns over wildfires, extreme temperatures, power shortages and food security across several regions, with scientists warning that its effects could worsen before the phenomenon peaks in December.

In Indonesia, prolonged dry conditions associated with El Nino have contributed to fires burning across forests and plantations in Borneo and South Sumatra, triggering a regional haze crisis. Malaysia closed schools in several areas last week, while Singapore announced subsidies for people seeking treatment for haze-related illnesses.

Malaysia has called for an ASEAN meeting to discuss the crisis and offered firefighting assistance. Experts warn that deforestation and peatland drainage have made Indonesia more vulnerable to fires during dry spells.

The fires have affected tens of thousands of people and threatened wildlife.

Authorities and conservation group YIARI rescued 46 orangutans between August and October 9, including a female named Novita, found clinging to a treetop with burns on her hands and feet.

Smoke has also blanketed Manaus, the largest city in Brazil’s Amazon region, forcing public schools to close on Friday. Amazonas state recorded nearly four times as many fire hotspots this September as a year earlier, with more than 749 fires burning on Wednesday alone.

Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Myanmar has warned of possible power outages as an unseasonal heatwave increases electricity demand. Authorities also cautioned about abnormal rainfall, drought, extreme heat and drinking water shortages.

The Philippines is preparing for higher electricity consumption and possible declines in hydropower generation as hotter, drier conditions place additional pressure on its energy supply. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin urged the public to conserve electricity.

The economic consequences are also raising alarm. International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva told AFP she was “very concerned” about El Nino’s global effects, particularly on food security, adding that the IMF was preparing to support countries struggling with the impact.

The United Nations Development Programme warned that the combination of high borrowing costs, rising energy prices and severe weather could push tens or even hundreds of millions of people back into poverty. In southern Madagascar, where communities are already facing famine, aid workers expect conditions to deteriorate as El Nino’s effects on Africa intensify.

The World Meteorological Organisation said El Niño was expected to strengthen until a December peak, bringing above-average temperatures across much of the world and altering rainfall patterns, increasing the risks of drought and flooding.

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded a sea-surface temperature of 29.70 degrees Celsius in a key Pacific monitoring region, an all-time high. Japan’s weather agency described the current event as the strongest on record, although scientists caution that different forecasting methods complicate comparisons.

El Nino, a natural climate phenomenon involving unusually warm Pacific Ocean surface waters, influences global temperatures and rainfall. A particularly strong event can intensify droughts and heavy rainfall in different regions. Scientists often describe this cycle as “very strong”, while the term “super El Nino” is also used.

Climate change adds complexity because the oceans are already warmer, making it necessary for scientists to distinguish El Niño’s effects from the underlying long-term rise in temperatures.

The impacts are already evident elsewhere: Thailand’s floods have killed 71 people since mid-September, while the Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet even as Pacific storm activity remains high. – AFP